daughter not happy with offer and not sure if I am now...

[chanelcandy]

We've got our third choice school. My daughter is distraught that she will probably not be with her friends as most are likely to get the first choice school as the whole class did last year.
I'm trying to get her to be positive about the school we've been offered but I realised something this morning. I had based part of my choice of this school on its 2008 GCSE results as published by them that didn't include Maths and English this was a 71% A-C pass rate. However when I looked on the BBC site with the 2008 results they have the school down as as 43% including English and Maths.
Is this a bad school? They are supposed to be in the top 25% of schools in the country so how can this be? I'm going to appeal for her other schools but don't hold out much hope. I'm feeling really down right now for her, but trying not to show it.

Its not a BAD school but its not the best either. Having said that if your daughter is fairly academic she will do fine whichever school she goes to.

Keep her name on continuing interest lists but be positive about the school she has a place in or she will really feel hard done by.

bourne?

Thanks NewTeacher, she's above average across the board so I hope she does all right in this school. I've kept her off today as she just kept bursting into tears earlier and I didn't want her to be made to feel worse by her friends celebrating.
We've just got the offer letter and she's already on the waiting list for the first two apparently.
You're right I do need to keep upbeat about this or she WILL feel hard done by.

it might be worth checking the english/maths results - if the school does the IGCSE (as opposed to the GCSE) then the results aren't counted for the stats purposes - this means that schools that put their brighter pupils in for the more challenging exam will end up with apparently worse results.

Thanks Mrs Wobble but no it's the GCSE they do unfortunately.

Def keep her on continuting interest list for other schools - a lot can change in the next few weeks. Don't want to make you even more fed up but you are very unlikely to win any appeal when you have been given one of your school choices - sorry.

I know lol, this is really hard. I sent her in today and most of the class got the girls school she wanted. She found out today that one girl didn't get her first choice as well and is thankfully going to end up at her school too. So they are chuffed that they will be together. I agree, I'm unlikely to win an appeal, but it's worth a try. Also I will keep on the continuing interest list even after they start in September.
I just want her to be happy at the end of the day and she seems to be now that one of her best friends will be with her. Thanks for taking the time to reply, it helps me put things in perspective.